Q30001.pptx
WE, THE UNDERSIGNED qualified voters of the municipality of Sioux Falls, the state of South Dakota, petition that the following ordinance be submitted to the voters of that municipality for their approval or rejection pursuant to law. The proposed ordinance in proper form is as follows: AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA TO MANDATE THE USE OF SNOW GATES FOR REMOVING SNOW FROM PUBLIC STREETS: BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA: The City of Sioux Falls shall use snow gates or other devices to prevent snow, in an amount that prevents usual access, from being plowed or placed into driveways or their openings to public streets from and after November 1, 2013. This section shall cover city employees and contract employees. Snow gates are discretionary upon the declaration of a snow emergency on routes that have been declared snow emergency routes.
If the voters approve this initiated measure, then the City would use snow gate devices to aid in the snow removal program for the streets within the City of Sioux Falls. Snow gates would not be used on streets designated as emergency snow routes. The use of snow gates is expected to reduce the amount of plowed snow that may accumulate in driveway openings. A vote YES is for the use of snow gates in the City s snow removal program. A vote NO is against the use of snow gates in the City s snow removal program. SHALL THE ORDINANCE TO REQUIRE SNOW GATES IN THE CITY S SNOW REMOVAL PROGRAM BE ADOPTED? YES NO
43 inches of snow. 5 snow alerts. $7.2 million (2013 snow removal budget).
Takes 24 30 hours to clear streets. Uses 120 pieces of equipment. 3,000 lane miles to plow. Residential streets are cleared.
October Through April Snow Alerts Days of Precipitation Snow (Inches) 2010 2011 6 125 45.6 2011 2012 2 80 15.9 2012 2013 2 91 27.0 Average 3.3 99 29.5
20 percent of the city streets were tested with snow gates.
Amount of snow per event. Type of snow. Total snow accumulations. Street characteristics. Driveway width and spacing. Type of equipment. Operator experience.
Private contractors perform 40 percent of the snow removal operation. Shift coordination. Communication. Fueling. Repair and maintenance.
Effective at reducing snow in driveways and intersections. Most effective if less than 6 inches of snowfall. Takes more time with wet, heavy snow. Cul-de-sacs and wide driveways are challenging. Streets begin to narrow as snow accumulates throughout the winter.
Require 6-wheel drive graders. Operator effectiveness improves with experience. Require teamwork with private contractors.
Less curb distance No gap Inside blade
Snow gates reduce snow in driveways. Snow gates reduce snow in intersections. Positive feedback received at public meetings.
Increased time to plow city streets. Without snow gates: 24 30 hours. With snow gates: 26 34 hours. Potential for additional delays. Snow gate breakdowns. Private contractor logistics.
Snow gates can cause narrowing of streets, which can result in: Snow pickup for safety and emergency vehicle access. Elimination of on-street parking. Increased requests for plowbacks due to drifting. Reduced line-of-sight at intersections and driveways. Blocked storm water inlets during spring melt. Limited access to fire hydrants and mailboxes.
Requires flexibility to limit the use of snow gates in certain circumstances. More than 6 inches of snowfall. Streets are already narrowed due to high accumulation of snow at the curb. 9 6
Two of three test years were very mild winters. Actual financial results may vary based upon winter conditions and identified variables.
Plowing costs. Initial cost of equipment. Snow pickup costs.
Fuel consumption. 0 percent to 13 percent increase. Operational time. 6 percent to 13 percent increase. Total time to plow streets. Without snow gates: 24 30 hours. With snow gates: 26 34 hours. (Based upon 10 events over 3 years.)
$198,000 Initial one-time cost of 33 snow gates. $325,000 Annual plowing costs (typical winter). Fuel. City labor and equipment costs. Contractors. Install, maintain, remove, and replace. $0 $290,000 for snow pickup in school zones. $325,000 $615,000 total annual increase.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please don t hesitate to contact us: Mark Cotter Director of Public Works 224 West Ninth Street Sioux Falls, SD 57104 605-367-8600 Galynn Huber Street/Fleet Operations Manager 1000 East Chambers Street Sioux Falls, SD 57104 605-367-8255